Really Surprised!

Good concept, poorly executed.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

For a Disney movie, this was above average in conception and execution. The Balloon vehicle provides very interesting plot twists. The lead actors aren't top stars except Mako in a good support role as an eskimo guide, but they all turn in good performances that stand above normal campy Disney fare. The French pilot and English Expedition head clash most enjoyably. And there is a comic mascot. There are several true villains and they battle weather elements as well. This is not a great film, but for Disney it stands out and is a satisfying adventure flick with typical Disney ending. All the elements are there and even the music is good.

Largely forgotten amid the many other fantasy adventures from around this time, this one is a gem. A slow start, and the antiquated attitudes of the explorers are cringeworthy, but it gets going! Donald Sinden's aristocratic Englishman leads a search party for his missing son, they travel by airship towards the Arctic circle and discover a hidden land beyond the ice.For me - this was one of the best depictions of Norse people I've ever seen in cinema. From the get - go, no horned helmets or fake snow, these people spoke old Norse throughout the movie, correct clothes and appearance, and their villages and buildings were beautiful. Great to see normal life for Norse people, and not raiding and pillaging! The special effects get a little ropey towards the end but we can forgive that, and the aforementioned Sinden is on top eye rolling ham form.A great Sunday afternoon movie!

The Island at the Top of the WorldThe upside to the melting ice caps is that sun-seekers can finally access those time-shares they bought before the last ice age.Mind you, the explorers in this action-adventure movie aren't looking for cozy accommodations.Determined to locate his son (David Gwillim) who went missing on an expedition to find an island in the arctic where whales go to die, a nobleman (Donald Sinden) hires an archaeologist (David Hartman), an Inuit (Mako) and a balloonist (Jacques Marin) to fly them aboard his dirigible.Soon, the searchers not only discover the legendary bone yard, but also a lost Viking tribe and an active volcano that threatens their aerial escape. Featuring fanatical savages, killer whales and middle-age heroes, this fanciful - but mostly forgotten - live-action Walt Disney escapade from the 1970s is an interesting albeit hokey history lesson.What's more, the real place where whales go to die is called SeaWorld.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

I loved this film as a kid...I remember being enthralled by its great visual effects and action sequences. Now, of course, when I watch it I'm stunned by how primitive those things look compared to today's techniques (sloppy mattes and shaky blue screen.) The characters are also ethnic and gender stereotypes and the acting very hammy. However, I've shown it to my two year old daughter who finds it enthralling. I recommend it for families who have children under the age of five. Be forewarned, however, some of the sequences are a little scary for that age group. It might also be fun for someone who loves effects films to watch just to see how far we have come.